There are many applications for accelerometers used beneath the surface of the earth. In one application, accelerometers are attached to a drill string having a drill bit for drilling a borehole into the earth. The accelerometers can measure vibrations that may cause equipment damage or slow down the rate of penetration and thus be used adjust drilling parameters to reduce vibrations.
In another subsurface application, an accelerometer with increased sensitivity may be used as a gravimeter to measure gravitational force and thus gravitational acceleration. By sensing gravitational acceleration below the surface of the earth, various properties of a reservoir can be sensed for reservoir management purposes.
One challenge faced by instruments disposed deep within the earth is high temperature, which can meet or exceed 200° C. The high temperature can cause an accelerometer to fail or provide inaccurate measurements. Hence, improvements to accelerometers for subsurface applications would be well received in the drilling and hydrocarbon production industries.